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Tibetan Capital,life in Forbidden Lhasa

Statues of Buddha, brought by two princesses

One of the highest cities in the world, Lhasa, is the capital and spiritual centre of Tibet, in China. It can be considered the top of the world if not the heaven on earth. It's a trip to spiritually interested people and adventurous travellers. If you don't fit on those characteristics, you won't find Tibet too interesting. The views are amazing and the vibe is marvellous, and if you accept the challenge of discovering Tibet, it will change the way you see the world.

The Jokhang Temple is a west facing building of four floors that houses statues of Buddha, brought by two princesses, Bhrikuti from Nepal and Wen Cheng from Tang Dynasty China, as gifts for their future husband, the King Songtsan Gambo. The temple has more than 1300 years, as well as the statues of Buddha, and it was enlarged many times over the years, coming to house also statues of the king ans his wives. The Buddha brought by Wen Cheng is nowadays the most revered, sacred and famous possession in Tibet. The best time to enter the temple is on the evening, even though the chapels inside are open until 12.30pm.

Originally a fortress built by King Songtsan Gambo to the two wives, the Potala Palace were re-build and enlarged by many Dalai Lamas, and has more than a thousand rooms. It was once the seat of Tibetan government and also the winter residence of the Dalai Lamas, and today it contains their tombs, as well as a lot of important and rare cultural relics, like the gold hand-written Buddhist scriptures, valuable gifts from the Chinese emperors and many priceless antiques. The admission fee is 100 yuan .

It can be a good experience to take a walk in the Barkhor Street market, that surrounds the Jokhang Temple, for its traditionality and the handicrafts you can only find over there. On this street you can see many pilgrims rolling their praying wheels and turning clockwise around the temple. Eating and drinking tea in the tea houses in the Barkhor street is something you can't skip to complete this trip, completely different from everything you've ever done in your life.